Process for using photopolymerizable compositions

Abstract

Process for using photopolymerizable compositions involving monomers of ethylenically unsaturated esters of difunctional acids and polymethylene glycols terminated with acrylate and methacrylate groups.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method comprising: (1) applying to a surface the surface of a solid, unexposed photopolymerizable layer of a composition consisting essentially of: (a) a photoinitiator;   (b) a macromolecular linear organic film-forming polymeric binder; and   (c) a photopolymerizable monomer, with the following present: (i) 0.001 to 20 parts by weight, based on the weight of monomer, of nonperoxide photoinitiator, which is activatable by actinic radiation and thermally inactive at and below 85° C.;   (ii) 10 to 95 parts by weight, based on the total weight of the photopolymerizable composition, of binder; and   (iii) 5 to 90 parts by weight, based on the total weight of the photopolymerizable composition of an ethylenically unsaturated addition-polymerizable compound having a molecular weight of at least 150 and a boiling point of above 100° C. and having the formula: ##STR2##  or (CH 2 ) n-2  ; and m and n are independently from 2 to 10; while the other surface of the layer has adhered thereto with low to moderate adherence a thin, flexible sheet support, then in either order;       (2) exposing the layer, imagewise, to actinic radiation to form a polymeric image in the layer;   (3) removing the sheet support from the resulting image-bearing layer; and   (4) removing the unexposed areas of the layer to form a resist image of polymeric materials; and   (5) permanently modifying the adjacent areas on said surface which are unprotected by the resist image by using a reagent capable of etching said areas or depositing a material on said areas.   
     
     
       2. The process of claim 1 wherein said composition the ethylenically unsaturated addition polymerizable compound is selected from bis(2-methacryloxyethyl) adipate, bis-(3-methacryloxypropyl) adipate, bis(4-metharyloxybutyl) adipate, bis(6-methacryloxyhexyl) adipate, bis(10-methacryloxydecyl) adipate, bis(6-methacryloxyhexyl) malonate, bis(6-methacryloxyhexyl) phthalate, bis(2-methacryloxyethyl) phthalate, bis(2-methacryloxyethyl) isophthalate, bis(2-methacryloxyethyl) terephthalate, bis(10-methacryloxydecyl) sebacate, bis(6-acryloxyhexyl) adipate, and bis(2-acryloxyethyl) adipate. 
     
     
       3. The process of claim 1 wherein said polymeric binder is an acrylic polymer. 
     
     
       4. The process of claim 3 wherein said acrylic polymer is polymethyl methacrylate. 
     
     
       5. The process of claim 1 wherein in said composition any of the photoinitiator compound, the polymeric binder, and the ethylenically unsaturated addition polymerizable compound is present as a mixture of several such materials.